Token Economy Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
A learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment.
What is positive reinforcement?
A technique used to encourage desirable behaviors by providing rewards.
Define primary reinforcer.
Rewards that are naturally reinforcing, such as food or water.
Define secondary reinforcer.
A stimulus that initially has no value but becomes rewarding when paired with a primary reinforcer.
What is the goal of token economy?
To help patients live relatively independently within the community post-discharge.
True or False: Failure to function adequately is associated with reinforcement.
True.
What happens when a stimulus becomes a secondary reinforcer?
It gains value after being paired with a primary reinforcer.
Fill in the blank: Patients trade ______ for access to desirable items or privileges.
tokens
What is reinforcement?
Giving a stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
What is punishment?
A process that reduces or stops a behavior.
What is the hierarchy of wants in behavioral treatments?
A list of desired behaviors assigned levels of importance.
What is the significance of patients engaging in behaviors without rewards?
It indicates readiness for discharge.
What is the effectiveness of token economies in treating patients?
They are effective in increasing desirable behaviors.
What does the study suggest about token economies?
They can be successful in independent living situations.
What ethical concerns are associated with token economy programs?
They may infringe on basic human rights by denying access to reinforcements.
What alternative treatment is mentioned for controlling symptoms?
Drug treatments.
What is the main challenge of administering token economies to outpatients?
Practical application in real-life settings.
Strength: TE effective
SE Ayllkn and Azrin: aimed to test TE effectiveness. Found with sz patient who used TE, the number of desirable behaviours increased dramatically from start of study. Suggests TE successful at improving independence e.g. Making the bed. In indicate TE and appropriate treatment.
CA: participants for all female so study not generalisable to males
Limitation: application when discharged a living in community
OE Corrigan: argues that our problems administering TE outpatient living in community. Difficult to apply positive results of TE within psychiatric ward and maintain them in environment (extinction of positive reinforcement). Suggests TE lack application to real life setting, lacks ecological validity.
Limitation: ethical concerns of TE programs
In order for reinforcement to be effective, clinician has to exercise control over important primary reinforces e.g. Food in order to exchange tokens for food if desirable behaviours are displayed a limitation because food etc is seen as basic human right, so being denied this creates issues such as protection from harm.
An alternative theory is drug treatments which help schizophrenic people to control their symptoms, allowing them to live independently
